Spirits and Wraiths
by splitpea202
Summary: Middle Earth faded, forgotten from the world over time. The Blessed Land of the elves faded and became our Americas. The elves themselves became wraiths- untouchable to both humans and spirits alike. What happens when Jack finds out about the wraiths and finds Legolas, who was there for him, unheard, from the start of his immortal life?
1. Prolouge

For not the first time, Legolas wished he could be seen.

He wished he could be felt.

He wished he could be _heard_.

If not to reassure himself that he wasn't _just a wraith now_, to comfort the lonely frost spirit that was born from the lake.

The first time he had seen the frost spirit, Jack was human. Legolas had witnessed the brave actions of the brother. He had felt anticipation and suspense build in him when Jack had calmed his sister and when he turned the jumping to safety a game. He had felt his heart- if it even still existed, he mused- jump when he witnessed Jack tugging his sister from the cracks to the thick ice near he edge of the lake. He had felt relief so strong, he felt _real_ again, when he saw them laughing from the relief.

And he felt his heart stop when the ice popped, and Jack fell through.

That night, Legolas had stood near the edge of the lake, crying ghostly tears that never left a mark on the ground, when he saw the moon.

_I've never seen it that bright_, Legolas had thought his mouth hanging open.

His awe had increased when he saw the moonbeams focus on the lake.

And his heart nearly sang with joy when he saw them lift the drowned boy, now a spirit, from below the ice, from the lake.

Legolas felt such happiness and excitement, he had ran after the newly named Jack frost when he flew into the town.

Because he couldn't fly, Legolas was understandably slower than Jack. But he was still faster than the normal human. Being an elf before he had faded really gave him an advantage sometimes.

Which is why he was there in time to witness Jack ask where he was and then get promptly ran through.

Legolas still wasn't sure what had made grief stab at his heart more, the realization that Jack had no more memories or the fact that Jack was invisible.

_Like him._

Like all the elves after the Valar had left to their realm and their magic faded.

Jack had flown back to the lake after that, with the snow coming down, _like it responded to his grief,_ Legolas mused.

He found Jack in the middle of the lake, crying into his arms, curled around his staff.

Another stab at his heart, _No one should have to go through that_, Legolas had thought. So with his mind set, and his Jaw clamped with determination, Legolas walked across the surface to the lake to where Jack was sitting.

Are you alright? He had asked.

Jack didn't respond. His sobs filled with soft whimpers that Legolas couldn't hear from Jack's cloak and arms muffling them.

Legolas had crouched down next to Jack, reaching around Jack to hug him, saying, "It's okay, don't worry, I'm here…"

Only to have his arms faze through Jack like smoke.

Like what happened with Jack and the living humans.

Like what had happened to him, _every damn day_ since he had felt the Valar's magic fade and felt himself become a wraith.

It only worsened when Jack suddenly lurched up and screamed at the moon, _WHY?! WHY CAN'T THEY SEE ME?! WHY AM I HERE?!_ Unaware of the wraith beside him who he just phased through like air.

Now, almost 300 years later, Legolas thought the same thing he had thought every single time he tried to comfort Jack and was phased through and unheard. The same thing Jack thought every single time he was phased through.

_Why, why can't he see me?_

Legolas wondered, again not for the first time, if the Valar were punishing him for something. Were they punishing him for bringing Gimli over to Valinor? Why were they tormenting him so much now? Wasn't Gimli's death and the fact he never got to see his siblings or his father since before he had left Middle Earth enough punishment?

Legolas had long since stopped asking them to be seen. He had even begged the Man in the Moon- _He was obviously real, Legolas had seen the Sandman, and the rest of the spirits, and he had also seen him bring Jack back to life, if that wasn't proof, then Legolas officially went mad from desperation and loneliness_- for a long while.

Now he just sent prayers to them to let Jack be seen.

Because if he helped Jack be seen, then he was good, right? No need to have both of them suffer, right?

Because Legolas could live with being a wraith forever, if at least Jack didn't have to be walked through.

* * *

**Guess what?**

**I apparently like to torture my favorite characters deep down. Don't worry it'll get better for them both.**

**Now some explanations behind this: I read a fic where Legolas was a mage slayer and the reason he was in our modern world was because Valinor faded and became our 'New World' essentially. Elves had to integrate in our society. I liked that idea of the continent of Valinor becoming the Americas. It's a fascinating idea you have to admit.**

**Also I found this picture: art/The-Time-Of-Spells-410444263 (THAT'S ON DEVIANTART BY THE WAY)  
**

**Basically all the elves that didn't go to Valinor after the War of the Ring eventually faded into wraiths is the idea I got from there. Only instead of having the wraiths like the spirits in ROTG, I made them the equivalent of spirits to everyone. Animals and plants can see and sense them, but spirits and humans can't under most conditions. They're sort of like ghosts.**

**Also I'll say this: The Man in the Moon knows about Legolas and the other faded- wraith elves. You'll get more on his actions and plans towards them later.**


	2. Curiosity

Jack wondered what it was about his lake that made him feel less lonely.

Was it the fact it was where he started his immortal life? No, he had asked the others. Sandy moved around constantly and didn't go to his place unless he needed special dream sand, Bunny hated his place because it was where Pitch had killed his race, and Tooth and North didn't even know where theirs _were_.

Was it because it was a favored hangout of the children and adults of Burgess?

Again, no. He had always felt the presence even when alone.

Or was it because it was the last spot where he saw his sister?

_No_, Jack thought, _that doesn't make sense_. He now remembered seeing her face a lot in Burgess. After his death (he shuddered, he died and she saw it and didn't even know he stilled existed) she didn't even go near the lake. Not even to swim.

Than what is it? Jacked thought, flying high above his lake, watching it as if it might crack under his gaze if he so much as blinked, What's there that I can't see?

Because he knew something was there. He used to think it was the spirit of the wind comforting him. But that wasn't true, he never felt ghostly arms wrap around him if he settled down to cry from the loneliness _getting too much_ anywhere but his lake.

He certainly knew there wasn't a lake spirit- He was pretty sure the people of Burgess would have noticed, if there was, and he was also sure he would've noticed a lake spirit by know.

_Maybe another spirit like me?_ Jack felt his heart both swell with happiness and tighten with sadness. The thought certainly made sense.

Except…

_If it was a spirit why couldn't he see them?_

"Maybe it's because I don't believe in them." Jack wondered out loud. Is that even possible with spirits?

Maybe it was a different type of spirit?

Deciding that he had nothing to lose, Jack flew down to the lake, toes lightly tapping the thick ice in the middle before looking around for his elusive companion.

Jack had done this many times. But while before he had done it with just his eyes while crouched down, clutching his staff, he actively scanned the lake and the surrounding forest for his comforter.

"Hello?" Jack called. Usually Jack could feel the other's presence by now. It was never seen, oh no. Jack didn't honestly know how to describe it, until out five years ago when he became a guardian. Now he could accurately describe the feeling of his mysterious companion's presence. It felt like the feeling of his believers, little flickers of warmth and strength in his chest, which constantly grew and weakened depending on the number of them and in the spirit's case, how close they were to him. But while the believers were warm in the feeling they gave Jack, the spirit's was… _cool._ Like rainwater on a summers day.

_Where is it, where is it… There_. Jack turned to his right, staring into the forest. The spirit was there.

It approached him slowly, the feeling in Jacks chest growing stronger like rain coming down harder. It seemed cautious now that he was acknowledging it.

_Like me when Jamie said my name._ Jack thought with a pang. _Why didn't I do this sooner?!_

"Hello?" Jack repeated, turning to face it. He felt it –_was it a boy or a girl?_ - freeze, and then continue approaching after a while, until he felt it stop only arms length away. Jack didn't know what to do now. It was right here! It knew that he knew it was real!

So why couldn't he see it?!

_Maybe… Maybe I could touch it?_ Jack wondered.

_Well… no point not trying_. Jack thought, steeling himself. Cautiously he reached out to poke his comforter in the chest…

* * *

Legolas honestly didn't know what to feel. Should he be ecstatic that he was being acknowledged by something else than an animal or a tree? Should he be sad that it wasn't another wraith, that it wasn't just him forced to the same confine of a certain space? Should he be angry that he was being noticed by Jack _now_, instead of three hundred years ago?

All he knew is that his heart stopped for a beat when Jack called hello and then turned to him.

Now here he was arms length away from a winter spirit that obviously couldn't see him, since he was staring at Legolas's chest, but knew he was there.

Legolas decided he should be happy that he was at least acknowledged, even if he wasn't seen.

Jack seemed to be thinking hard, reminding Legolas of Merry and Pippin thinking of a prank. Legolas smiled sadly, wondering where the strange comparison came from. He hadn't thought about the fellowship really in years- _it helped not to think about the past and dead friends if you wanted to stay sane, and Legolas wanted to keep his mind thank you very much, didn't want to find his family again only not to remember them or think they were bad _- and to be reminded of them still sent pangs of grief going through his chest.

Jack still had that contemplating look on his face. Legolas wondered what he was thinking, as Jack's face changed to a look of determination and stubbornness- _Like Estel when he was just a child._ Legolas thought with amusement.

The smile faded very quickly from Legolas's face when Jack reached out to him. _Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no…_ Legolas thought, jerking back from the finger as it was about to poke him in the chest. Even though being phased through doesn't hurt, he did _not_ enjoy the sensation.

Jack didn't seem to care though. He jerked forward, hand outstretched…

* * *

Jack lurched toward the spirit only to phase through it. Again. He felt his arm flow through what felt like cool mist and he felt the spirit shiver. Jack quickly pulled back and muttered out an apology. He didn't mean to cause them pain.

_Why can't I see this spirit?_ Jack thought again, standing still, feeling the insecurity of the other. _It can obviously see me._

_Is it like some ghost?_ Jack felt ghostly cool mist arms wrap around him gently, clearly accepting his apology, and leaned gently into the touch.

_Maybe North would know._ Jack perked up. _Yes! He probably would! Or maybe there's something in that huge library of his!_ Jack perked up even more, wiggling to let the ghost know he was going to take off. _Yes! I've been looking for an excuse to explore it!_

The ghost seemed to understand and stepped away.

Jack turned to take off then whipped around and yelled- He winced, he probably didn't need to shout- "Don't worry, I'll be back! I'm gonna go try to see why I can't see you, and find out if I can fix that! Just wait here!"

With those parting words Jack jumped up into the air and commanded the winds to take him to Santoff Claussen.

* * *

Legolas felt his lips lift up gently at the frost spirit's words as he watched him fly away from the lake. He turned away as Jack disappeared over the trees with a sad heart. _If the wraiths haven't figured something out yet, then I doubt the spirits that don't even think twice about us, will have._ Legolas thought sadly, _But I will let you try young one_.

* * *

…Little did Jack or Legolas know, the Man in the Moon knew about the wraiths. He watched Jack fly off after trying to talk to the lonely wraith and smiled to himself.

_Jack, you continue to be the most interesting guardian so far._ Manny mused, then turned around and walked towards a small room in his palace on the moon. The Valar need to be informed that the Guardians are ready to be introduced to the wraiths.

And he knew just which wraith and guardian to start with.

* * *

**Oh look, I updated! And it hasn't been a month!**

**I must really like this story...**

**And look! Stuff is going to happen!**** Next chapter is going to be Jack finding things out!  
**

**Erm, yes I realize I sound like an excited five year old. I don't want to repeat myself or give things away.**

**Any-who, until next chapter!**


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